Fidelity Electronics International. Backgammon Challenger - Model BKC. Designer Display Chess Challenger - Model 6105, 6106. AC Adapter / Adaptor / Power Transformer. Sensory 12 Chess Challenger - Model SC12. AC Adapter / Adaptor / Power Transformer. Sphinx - Model 3018, 3038, 3048. Chess Challenger, or Fidelity Chess Challenger, was a series of dedicated chess computers produced and market by Fidelity Electronics.The Chess Challenger 1 was the first commercial chess computer of its kind in 1976, invented by Sidney Samole, with a program by Ron Nelson, developed for an Altair 8800 Microcomputer with an Intel 8080 CPU.
Fidelity Chess Challenger 12
These spare parts were purchased from Peter Roberts, who worked as repairman for Competence, the distributor of Fidelity chess computers in the UK, through most of the 1980s and 90s. They appear to be mostly unused components in good condition (obvious exceptions noted) and should be in working order. Peter Roberts himself had no Eprom copying or testing equipment, so the ROMs are as supplied by Fidelity. Some may have been damaged or lost their data over the years. I have no facility for testing these components, or inclination to do so. So if you order an item it will be at your own risk.
The items are available to the owners of the chess computer models concerned as replacement parts. Most for only a nominal charge to cover packaging, plus the actual shipping cost to you. Some components, eg program ROMs for the more valuable Fidelitys such as Elites, Mach IIIs and IVs, will be charged at a ‘commercial price’*. This is to discourage multiple requests, and particularly those from modders and traders. The intention is to provide a long term resource for the chess computer community to help keep the old machines going.
*refund on return if they are faulty
The list below is a first draft and shows numbers, part reference number, date stamp (can vary) and model / rom info.
Corrections and further information, particularly matching part numbers to Fidelity models etc, will be very welcome.
| Fidelity Chesster Challenger | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Fidelity | Launch Year | 1990 | |||||||||||||||||
| Elo | 1885 | Price | $159 | |||||||||||||||||
| Programmer | Dan & Kathe Spracklen | BT-2450 | 1763 | |||||||||||||||||
| Processor | 6502 | BT-2630 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Processor Type | 8 Bit | Colditz | ||||||||||||||||||
| Clock | 5 MHz | Depth of Search | ||||||||||||||||||
| RAM | 8 KB | Display | No | |||||||||||||||||
| ROM | 32 KB + 128 KB Sprachausgabe | Move Input | Touch Sensory Board | |||||||||||||||||
| Opening Book | 12,000 ply | Move Output | 16 edge LEDs | |||||||||||||||||
| Playing Levels | 25 levels | |||||||||||||||||||
| Dimensions | 30 x 30 x 2.5 cm / Chessboard 20 x 20 cm / King height 5 cm | |||||||||||||||||||
| Power Supply | 4 AA batteries, Adaptor = HGN 5001 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Related to | Fidelity Chesster Phantom , Fidelity Par Excellence , Fidelity Designer 2100 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other | 200 ply takeback | |||||||||||||||||||
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Fidelity Chess Challenger 12
| Infos |
Although the Fidelity Chesster Challenger is based on the Fidelity Designer 2100 there are a number of important differences. Firstly the clock speed is 5 MHz rather than 6 MHz. The opening book is 16,000 ply and designed for variety compared with the 28,000 ply opening book of the Fidelity Designer 2100, and the narrower optimised 16,000 ply opening book of the Fidelity Par Excellence. Perhaps a more important difference is the Chesster's voice synthesizer chip and special speaker. Chesster has a vocabulary of over 300 words, which are combined into a large number of phrases. Pressing h1 at the start of the game will make Chesster go through the entire repetoire, which takes 10 minutes. The vocabulary is divided between Character Mode, Coach Mode, Demonstration Mode and Move Assistance Mode which are all selectable, individually or in combination. The vocabulary is the same as for the robot version, the Fidelity Chesster Phantom, with which it shares the 5 MHz clock speed and program. The German language version, the Kishon Chesster is believed to be based on the Designer 2000 running at 3.6 MHz. There is also a budget version called the Fidelity Little Chesster. There are two circuit boards shown in the photographs below. On the left is the Chesster Challenger and on the right the Fidelity Designer 2100 Display.
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